Centre for Policy on Ageing



Conversion pseudodementia in older people — a descriptive case series
Author(s)	J Hepple
Journal title	International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, vol 19, no 10, October 2004
Pages	pp 961-967
Source	http://www.interscience.wiley.com
Keywords	Behaviour disorders ; Cognitive impairment ; Case studies.
Annotation	Conversion pseudodementia in older people is a rare but severe syndrome of regression and dependency that requires skill in assessment and treatment to prevent progression and the need for long term care. The syndrome is more common in women from a higher socio-economic background with past psychiatric histories dominated by depressive symptoms. The syndrome usually progresses to the point where long term institutional care is needed, although the mean survival from onset is 13 years. The author reports a case series of 10 patients collected over a 12-year period of clinical work in old-age psychiatry in the UK. He suggests that conversion pseudodementia in older people is caused by a catastrophic reaction to cumulative loss in later life in individuals who have predisposing borderline narcissistic personality traits. Treatment using psychotherapeutic approaches may limit the progression of the syndrome if it is recognised at an early stage. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-041209206 A
Classmark	EP: E4: 69P
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.